Rented a splitter this long weekend...

[bigbarf48]

If you've seen my other threads, you know I've been waist deep in log loads from my new tree service buddy

I had quite a bit of beech stacked in the backyard, along with some sweetgum, red oak, and white oak. I still had some BIG red oak and beech rounds out front that I needed to breakdown so I could move them, so I rented a splitter on Saturday. The nice thing about the equipment rental place is they're closed on Sunday, so a 1 day rental on Saturday is due back Monday morning!

Anyways, I had a ton of help from my dad and brother, and we wrestled those big rounds onto the splitter and got them hauled out back. Then I went to work on the sweetgum (even with a splitter its a pain to split) and the beech.

I ended up getting 1+ cords of gum split and 2 cords of beech. Monday I hand split ~1.5 or 2 cords of red and white oak . All that, and I still have a pile of red oak to split, 2 piles of white to split, and a load of white oak out front ready to be bucked!

It was a long few days of work, but worth it!


Everything in these stacks was split this weekend



Here you can see the red and white oak "to be split" piles


And heres a glory shot of my wall o wood (to which another half full rack has been added since this pic)

 

[blazincajun]

Great job! Feeling envy over here.

 

[Badfish740]

My first two years I rented a splitter, but I quickly realized that I could buy a good used unit for what I had paid in rental fees. They go quick, especially when priced well, but if you keep at it you'll find a good one. I finally picked up a 5 HP/20 ton vertical for $400 from a guy who was moving.

 

[bigbarf48]

I may be in the minority, but I really don't enjoy using hydro splitters. I enjoy splitting by hand, I just needed to catch up so that my backlog of rounds wouldnt cover the whole backyard

 

[Badfish740]

I may be in the minority, but I really don't enjoy using hydro splitters. I enjoy splitting by hand, I just needed to catch up so that my backlog of rounds wouldnt cover the whole backyard

I like to swing the ax (I use a Fiskars) for exercise, but 4-5 cords a year by hand is a tall order for me.

 

[USMC80]

got some good work done there

 

[legrandice]

Looks like you got a lot of work done in a short time!

 

[bigbarf48]

Thanks! i was happy with what we got done. 12 hour days will do that I guess

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I may be in the minority, but I really don't enjoy using hydro splitters. I enjoy splitting by hand, I just needed to catch up so that my backlog of rounds wouldnt cover the whole backyard

That very well might change in future years. I too used to really enjoy splitting wood and started that before I was 10 years old. However, sometimes life throws you a curveball and you have to do some changing rather you like it or not. I can say that I got used to the hydraulics very quickly and love it even more than splitting by hand. I especially enjoy making kindling wood with the hydraulics. It is simply playtime for that!

Most times when I find someone that doesn't like hydraulics, if I watch them it is easy to see why they don't like it. You can also find many videos on youtube and I wonder why they even bought a splitter because they worked like crazy. No need to work hard if you do it right.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

bigbarf, you did well.

 

[bigbarf48]

I hear what you're saying backwoods. I think some of it may have had to do with the splitter I rented. It was a horizontal deal with no log catchers or anything. I did some splitting work over the summer for a local tree guy that sells firewood, and his horizontal splitter was the rolls Royce of splitters! Nice catchers, and a hydraulic lift on the opposite side to get the big rounds up and on. His also had auto return which makes it easier to cycle and reposition rounds simultaneously.

If I was in the market for a splitter Id go either the vertical route, or a well equipped horizontal one. The one I rented made my back hurt more than hand splitting does

 

[red oak]

I may be in the minority, but I really don't enjoy using hydro splitters. I enjoy splitting by hand, I just needed to catch up so that my backlog of rounds wouldnt cover the whole backyard

I agree! I love the exercise of swinging the maul, and since most of my wood is red oak it doesn't seem like it's much work at all. I process around 4-5 cords per year but certainly not all at once. A few minutes here and there splitting doesn't seem like much but can add up pretty quickly.

 

[bigbarf48]

I agree! I love the exercise of swinging the maul, and since most of my wood is red oak it doesn't seem like it's much work at all. I process around 4-5 cords per year but certainly not all at once. A few minutes here and there splitting doesn't seem like much but can add up pretty quickly.

Red oak is by far my favorite to split by hand. Sometime it seems like it'll split with a stern look

Although I was glad to have the splitter for the gum, that stuff will kill you if you're using hand tools. We ended up getting a hair under 5 cords total split in a couple days, so it was worth it. I doubt I could match that with an axe. Especially considering 2.5-3 of those cords were beech and gum

 

[Brewmonster]

Reasons for not loving hydraulic splitting:
Noise.
Breathing exhaust.

 

[gzecc]

Reasons for not loving hydraulic splitting:
Noise.
Breathing exhaust.

Funny, same thing said about those automobiles, 100+ yrs ago.

 

[tcassavaugh]

nice job I got to old to have a steady diet of hand splitting. I got a 27 ton sears/craftsman last year and the ability to go vertical or horizontal is a nice feature. I've only had one round get the best of me....its waiting for my saw.....

 

[BillLion]

I may be in the minority, but I really don't enjoy using hydro splitters. I enjoy splitting by hand, I just needed to catch up so that my backlog of rounds wouldnt cover the whole backyard

Fully agree. I'm going to rent a splitter soon to catch up and then back to hand-splitting. Great exercise and stress/tension relief!

 

[bigbarf48]

nice job I got to old to have a steady diet of hand splitting. I got a 27 ton sears/craftsman last year and the ability to go vertical or horizontal is a nice feature. I've only had one round get the best of me....its waiting for my saw.....

Dont let it beat you

Fully agree. I'm going to rent a splitter soon to catch up and then back to hand-splitting. Great exercise and stress/tension relief!

Exactly. Its just a fun pastime to me!

 

[Brewmonster]

Funny, same thing said about those automobiles, 100+ yrs ago.

You're right. And noise and exhaust are still obnoxious!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Reasons for not loving hydraulic splitting:
Noise.
Breathing exhaust.

Hearing protectors work nice (just like when running the saw) and having the exhaust on the downwind side take care of that problem.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

You're right. And noise and exhaust are still obnoxious!

Don't stop feeding your horses!

 

[woodsman416]

I've never used a hydro. I think I can probably hand split with the best of them but I turned fifty this year and I sometimes find my Northern Tool catalog has some interesting reading in the the hydro splitter section. I'm sure it's just a matter of time!

 

[Applesister]

Nice Job Bigbarf
5 cords is my yearly workout. So I KNOW thats alot of wood throwing in just a few days!!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Man you're going GANGBUSTERS there, Barf! Great job-your yard looks like a logging site!

The second picture I see a ladder by the house; are you going to start stacking on your roof next?

Really great job there

 

[jillybeansisme]

WOW! The only thing I see wrong with those amazing stacks is that they are not in my backyard! All kidding aside -- great job!